Many doctors don’t understand this chronic condition and they misdiagnose what’s going on, as symptoms of fibromyalgia can mimic those of other conditions.
Dr. Trujillo has extensive experience with fibromyalgia and can help you manage the condition.
What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia causes what is now referred to as “regions of pain.” Some of these regions overlap with what was previously referred to as areas of tenderness called “trigger points” or “tender points.”
The pain in these regions feels like a consistent dull ache. The agreed upon diagnosis of fibromyalgia is if you have pain in 4 out of 5 regions of pain. This 2016 revision of the diagnosis of fibromyalgia updated the former criteria laid out in 1990 of “chronic widespread pain.”
Other symptoms of fibromyalgia include:
- Fatigue
- Sleep difficulty
- Long periods of sleep without feeling rested
- Headaches
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Trouble focusing
- Pain or dull ache in the lower body
- Dry Eyes
- Bladder problems, like interstitial cystitis
How is fibromyalgia diagnosed?
When diagnosing fibromyalgia, Dr. Trujillo looks for widespread pain that has plagued the patient for over three months. This pain should be occurring in 4 out of the 5 areas of pain that have been used since 2016 in lieu of the former evaluation of trigger points.
There isn’t a lab test for fibromyalgia, but Dr. Trujillo may order certain tests so that he is able to rule out other conditions that can display similar symptoms. These will usually be any of the following blood tests:
- Complete blood count
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
- Cyclic citrullinated peptide test
- Rheumatoid factor
- Thyroid function tests
Diagnosing fibromyalgia is easier for Dr. Trujillo, who is a pain specialist, compared to most typical physicians who have little experience with the condition.
In October’s second blog, we’ll get into how Dr. Trujillo treats fibromyalgia at Summit Healthcare Pain Clinic Associates. Until then, if you’re dealing with chronic pain of any sort, we need to hear from you. Call us at (855) 768-4968.
